Complete Guide to the Mending of Bleeding Hearts
by strayphoenix
Summary: Two words destroyed Jean Grey's world: breast cancer. Two words put it back together: I do. ON HIATUS
1. medical diagnosis

"Please…" she whispered, "please…no"

"I'm sorry"

"How can you be? How-how can you know?"

"Jean…"

"I'm twenty. Please…God…I'm only twenty years old…"

"Ms. Grey let me…"

"I-I have a family…friends who care about me…a-a boyfriend that loves me unconditionally…"

"You're reaction isn't much different than most people when they find out…"

"I love my life" she continued rambling, unaware of the doctor, "I'min love withthe man of my dreams. I'm studying to become a doctor. This can't be happening…n-not to me. Not now…"

Jean buried her face in her hands as her shallow gasps gave way to tears. The doctor laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm truly sorry Ms. Grey. Breast Cancer in women as young as you is highly uncommon"

"I could have caught it before it was too late" she whispered into her hands. "Two weeks earlier, maybe one and I would have caught it"

"We can give you chemo" said the doctor, trying to be comforting.

"Chemo?" Jean asked weakly. She grabbed a bunch of her hair in one hand and brought it to her vision. "Scott loves my hair…"

"Scott's your boyfriend I gather?"

She nodded her head wordlessly.

"I know this is a lot for one day but I really need you to come again in two days. Talk to Scott and maybe your family and decide what you want to do". The woman doctor was just trying to be nice. Trying to ease the pain. It didn't work well.

"Tell me it's an accident…" she stammered, "tell me they got the wrong results…test me again...please…I'm too young to die…"

Jean resumed her soft crying and the doctor sighed her regret.

"I really am sorry"

And she left the room, leaving Jean in pieces and her world in shambles

* * *

This story is expected to be short but strong. If you're not into that type of thing, you can just wait for me to update 'On the Outside of Eden'. The concept of Jean having breast cancer comes from Minisinoo and X-Men are not mine. Next chapter up soon. 


	2. lover's diagnosis

"Scott? Scott!"

"Come in Kitty" he called.

Kitty phased in through Scott's door.

"I think something's wrong with Jean"

Scott sat up on his bed.

"Like what?"

"Well," said Kitty with an anxious tone quite unlike her own, "she just came back from wherever it was she was going today and just locked herself in the girl's bathroom. She won't talk to Ororo, Rouge, Logan, me, or even the Professor. We think something's really wrong"

"That's impossible. I would have felt it through our link" said Scott seriously concerned.

"That's what the Professor said. Could you come and try to talk to her?"

"Definitely"

He got up from his bed, packed up some of his school things, and headed out the door with Kitty.

There was a small worried crowd at the entrance to the bathroom when Scott and Kitty arrived. They all looked to Scott for hope; if anyone could reach her Scott could.

"Jean?" he called softly as he gently knocked on the door. "It's Scott"

The door unlocked and the thickness of the air outside the bathroom lifted if not just a little bit.

Scott opened the door and stepped into the bathroom. The door telekinetically shut and locked again once he was inside.

The bathroom was condensed and even the walls were foggy. Scott slowly approached the bathtub.

Jean was sitting in the bathtub, filled with water, still with her clothes on. Her eyes were red and swollen and she was hugging her knees as she often did when she was scared. She didn't take any notice of Scott and continued staring out in front of her.

"Jean?" he whispered in a soothing voice. When she didn't respond, Scott understood why he hadn't felt anything through their link: Jean was numb.

_My God, is it really that bad?_

"Jean? Where were you today? What happened? You know you can tell me"

She slightly moved her head down but still didn't speak.

Scott sighed. Then he removed his shirt and pants and sat across her in the tub forcing her to look at him.

"Sweetie, its killing me to see you like this" he said in a heartbroken tone.

"Killing" she whispered as she slowly returned to the present world. "Killing me"

"Jean,seeing you so depressed hurts me. Do you want to hurt me?" he asked, just trying to get her to talk more.

"It doesn't hurt yet" she muttered, as she turned her head away from Scott. "Is it going to?"

Scott realized that they weren't on the same page.

"Honey, what are you talking about?"

Jean locked eyes with him: red loving eyes on red loving eyes.

"I have breast cancer, Scott"

Scott didn't move at first. Didn't say anything as he processed what she said. Then finally…

"What?"

"I'm so young, Scott" she began sobbing as tears ran down her cheeks, "I have my whole life ahead of me.

"I want to be a doctor, I-I want to graduate from college, I want to raise a family, have kids with the man of my dreams. I love my life, I-I love my friends and they, they love me, Scott"

Her voice increased in pitch, "I love my house and my car and my part time teaching job. I love my room and my teachers and the X-Men and you…"

She stopped, the tears cascading now and her voice broken beyond any help.

"Oh God, Scott" she squeaked. "I love you so much"

Scott, who had just sat there staring at her, flung open his arms and Jean threw herself into them, burying her face in his neck and repeating the word she's just spoken, "I love you so much…"

Scott buried his own face in her neck, his voice broken as well.

"I love you too, Jean. And as God as my witness nothing in this universe will ever make me stop. Oh my Jean, my beautiful, beautiful, Jean…" he sobbed.

And in the humid bathroom, in an almost over flowing bathtub, cold, wet, and in the arms of the woman he loved, Scott Summers cried.

All while the X-Men waited outside the bathroom door for answers.

* * *

Hope it's up to par. I almost cried writing this. Of course, everything sounds better in your head so you guys might not cry.

* * *

I was inspired to finish up on this when I heard a song on the radio. It's called Skin (Sarabeth) by Rascal Flatts. It's a country song and it talks about a young girl with cancer who is trying to cope with Chemo and all those other awful things having to do with having Cancer. The song has a happy ending because she finds her true love, a boy that can understand her better than any one because he has cancer as well. Even if you don't like country music, I highly recomend it.

* * *

Till next chappie, stray

Ps: Be sure to check out my profile. It has been updated.


	3. friend's diagnosis

The X-Men gave a slight jump as they heard the lock on the bathroom door click. Scott and Jean stepped out. Both of them were wet but were wearing red bathrobes. Jean looked like she'd been crying but no one could really tell with Scott.

>Scott, I really don't wan to talk to them now> she said casting her eyes downward.

>It's all right. I'll do the talking. Just…just wait in your room> he sent back weakly. She looked him in the eyes and he gave her a small smile. She turned and headed for her room in a relatively slow pace.

"Is it really that bad?" Rouge whispered as she and the rest of the X-Men watched Jean's retreating figure.

"Yes" Scott breathed. All heads whipped back to him.

"Jean has breast cancer"

Storm gasped and Amara bit her fist. The rest of the X-Men remained motionless. Finally Logan spoke up.

"W-what?"

"Breast cancer" Scott repeated. The few remaining tears he had were wrenched from his eyes and they slid down his cheeks. He met their eyes for the first time and saw the same thing in all of them: shock and fear.

>S-Scott?> the message came weakly through their link.

"Jean needs me" he said as his gaze returned to the floor. He walked past them swiftly and went down the hall. No one seemed to notice.

The Professor was the first to snap out of it.

"Storm? Could you-could you get dinner started?" he asked in a state of shock. Ororo nodded her head almost mechanically and signalled Kitty and Amara to follow her. They responded in the same manner.

"Ah-Ah've gotta, brush mah hair or-or something…" Rouge said walking as fast as she could to her room.

The rest of the X-Men dispersed in a similar manner leaving only the Professor, Hank and Logan still standing in front of the bathroom door.

"Sweet Jesus…" Hank whispered.

"How could this happen to her?" Logan asked no one angrily as he popped his claws involuntarily. He really needed someone or something to blame.

"Put those away, Logan. No one knows what really causes cancer" the Professor said in a low voice. "Hank, give us options" he added.

"Well, Chemotherapy would work the best, but-but I still have to run some tests to see what stage she's at" was his response.

"Excuse me" Logan grunted heading down the stairs, most likely going to the Danger Room.

"I should go talk to her" the Professor said as he started wheeling himself in the direction of Jean's room. Hank followed suit.

When they opened the door, Scott was sitting on Jean's bed and Jean was lying down with her head on his lap. He was running his fingers through her hair while tears streamed down her cheeks. Scott stopped and Jean sat up when they entered.

"Jean, I want you to know that we're all here for you and we'll help you anyway we can"

"Thank you, Professor" Jean sniffled. She got up and hugged him. He returned the gesture warmly. She then went and hugged Hank with a gently sob.

"It'll be all right" he reassured her. Then with soft smiles, they both left Scott and Jean alone. Jean sat back down next to Scott and he brought her into his own arms tenderly.

"It **will **be all right. I promise" he whispered into her hair. She gave a weak laugh.

"Are you going to fight this cancer for me?" she whispered back.

"_If I could, I would shrink myself, sink through your skin to your blood cells and remove whatever makes you hurt_" he sang softly.

Jean slightly sniffled. Seeing that he wasn't planning on finishing, she sang the last part of the verse in an undertone.

"_But I am too weak to be your cure_"

Scott held her tighter. "That won't be the case" he said firmly and she gave a small nod.

"It's been a long day, Scott. I-I just want to sleep now"

"Okay. Just let me get my pillow" he said slowly as he released her. She snagged his wrist but didn't meet his eyes.

"You know how Logan feels about us having these sleep-overs"

"I'm sure he'll understand" he responded as he lifted her head with one of his fingers. "I'll be back in 2"

Jean changed her clothes and Scott came in just as she finished. They got under the covers and Jean shut the blinds with her TK. Scott enveloped her in his arms and kissed her fully on the mouth. Jean kissed him back hungrily and desperately. When they parted, Scott spoke up.

"I love you and I always will"

"I know" she responded tearfully, "I love you too"

He placed her head on his shoulder as the tears started up again for both of them.

* * *

I'm sorry this took so long to update. I got hit be 3 hurricanes and got sick twice. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapters will be coming up sooner. The the verse is from the song "Guernica" by Brand New. 


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